BP Fails Spill Response Test

Tuesday, October 2, 2012 @ 07:10 AM gHale

BP Products North America will pay $210,000 and will have to create enhanced oil spill response programs at all of its U.S. oil facilities under the terms of a consent agreement with the Department of Justice (DoJ).

DoJ said BP violated federal regulations for emergency oil spill response at its Curtis Bay Terminal in Maryland, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The company twice failed to pass unannounced oil-spill exercises administered by the EPA and U.S. Coast Guard at the Curtis Bay Terminal. BP was unable to contain a small-scale discharge of fuel from the facility in the time allotted for the test.

As a condition of the Justice Department’s ruling, BP Products must review its response plans and perform training, drills and exercises above the standard requirements.

“Being prepared to respond to an oil spill can be the difference between dealing with a small, contained event or a full-blown environmental disaster,” Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in a statement.

BP’s 12 “high-risk” and marine petroleum facilities will undergo independent audits to ensure emergency response tactics are up to par.